A Different Kind of Nightmare
by Petchricor
Summary: Grunt has a nightmare that leads to an awkward conversation with Shepard. Will everything be all right? *rated T for slight violence*


**Just another random idea with Grunt and Shepard. I always see them as a mother and son relationship most of the time. Enjoy**

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><p>Grunt's nightmares weren't what you'd call a nightmare, instead of fear and death his nightmares were filled with happy things and it scared him. But this nightmare was different from any other he had ever experienced, it started out like any other dream with a battle and him killing everything in sight. It was amazing to kill all those Collectors before him and see their dead bodies lie on the floor, lifeless. Then Shepard joined in, hiding behind cover as she fired at the Collectors, grinning and laughing as they killed them together, and Grunt was happy. He was killing worthy enemies with his battlemaster and nothing could be better, but that's when things took a turn for the worst. Grunt hadn't noticed at first but they were beginning to get outnumbered by the Collectors, getting surrounded and barely being able to hold their own, this made Grunt very frustrated as they started to get defeated by the enemy. At first he hadn't noticed but Shepard was injured, her stomach bleeding horribly, but she was still fighting. Grunt tried to offer help but she didn't seem to hear him over all the gunfire. It had been a look over the cover at just the wrong time, a bullet to the head made red, human blood go everywhere.<p>

_"Shepard!" Grunt screamed as he ran over, catching her just before she hit the ground. The gunshots had stopped and the Collectors disappeared but Grunt didn't even notice as he lay the dead Shepard on the ground, his talons trembling with every movement he made. Grunt didn't understand this kind of emotion, he had felt humor and joy and anger, but this emptiness was something he'd never known. It was like something had been ripped from him, something that was important to him and that he didn't want lost. The world snapped out of focus and another one came back in._

Grunt's eyes snapped open and he got to his feet, stumbling around a bit before grabbing onto the steal pole and steadying himself. It was just a dream, a nightmare, and it wasn't real but a part of him couldn't help but wonder about that feeling he had when he saw Shepard's dead body. An icy coldness filled his entire body as he remembered the image of holding the bloody Shepard in his claws as he lowered her to the ground, lifeless. Grunt shook himself lightly and walked out of the cargo hold, down the hall and into the elevator. At first he was unsure why he was here but his instinct told him that he had to see the Shepard was all right or else he'd never fall back asleep anytime soon.

AΩ

"Come in?" Shepard looked up from her laptop when she heard a light tapping at her door, it was almost timid sounding, but why was someone at her cabin this late? It was two in the morning by the ship's clock, who would be up at this time? Well, besides her and EDI obviously. She was surprised, which was an extreme understatement, when she saw Grunt enter her cabin. "Oh, Grunt, how may I help you?" Grunt looked at her silently, looking her up and down carefully as if looking for something. His gaze made her a little uncomfortable but she didn't shift under his gaze, which almost looked scared or-concerned? She wasn't sure what it was but it wasn't an expression she'd ever seen him wear. Shepard shifted his position to one more serious. "Grunt, are you all right?" He grunted and looked at her face finally, looking very tired and maybe even a little scared, as he thought to himself for a moment.

"Battlemaster, do you ever have...nightmares?" Shepard blinked, having never expected ever be asked this question and definitely not by Grunt of all people. She nodded slowly, being careful not to say the wrong thing because this was obviously a sensitive subject.

"Yeah, I do. With this mission and the stakes we're up against, of course I have nightmares," she told him. Grunt nodded slowly in response to the statement, looking as uncomfortable as she felt.

"Do you ever have nightmares about...about losing someone?" Grunt was so obviously uncomfortable with this question that he even shifted on the spot nervously, which Shepard knew he always made a point never to do.

"Yeah, all the time. I have nightmares about losing my entire crew sometimes. Why do you ask?" Shepard tilted her head, even though she knew it was probably gonna go unanswered and it wasn't a smart question she had to ask, her curiosity had gotten the better of her this time around. He shifted again, which made Shepard nervous because if a Krogan is nervous than something's up and whatever it is can't be good.

"Well, it's just that-well...um, that's the reason I'm up here," Grunt told her sheepishly. Shepard's eyebrows flew up in surprise. "You died in my dream and, well...a part of me just had to know you were still alive." Shepard gave a soft smile and nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. In fact, that's why I'm up right now. Just got back from checking on Garrus, Joker, and Mordin. It happens to everyone, don't sweat it," Shepard assured him. Grunt tilted his head curiously at her, his Krogan brain turning as he thought something over. Shepard raised a brow when his smile turned into a funny smile, it looked weird on a Krogan face honestly.

"Battlemaster, only you would not laugh in my face about something as tedious as this. Thank you." Shepard returned the smile and nodded approvingly. "I'll leave you to your novel reading. Goodnight Shepard." He nodded to her and headed for the door.

"Tell anyone about my romance novels and I"ll kill you." For a second Grunt looked like he thought she was serious but once he saw the joking smile on her face he smirked and nodded. "Goodnight, Grunt." The door shut and Shepard chuckled, turning back to her laptop and clicking on the next page for her novel.

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><p><strong>And that's a wrap!<br>**

**Thanks for reading, please review, and have a bow chicka bow wow day**

**Petchricor, QotG, signing off ;)**


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